Valentine Press Conference Impressions

I think I'll say this right off the bat.

Terry Pluto put it best... It's hard to imagine, but it is fun to think about.

I read initial quotes and was sort of dismayed.

An out of touch, former-MLB manager that stepped off the plane from Japan a week ago, went right to work for ESPN and admittedly didn't study for his test.

For one, I can admire someone who doesn't study for the test and does well on it.

I've done it plenty of times.

I've also not studied for a test and have done horrible.

I've also studied for a test and done horrible, but that's beside the point.

But if you don't study for a test, and you want me to buy it, you better damn well pass the test.

I'm not really sure if Valentine did that.

Let's go over some of these quotes. I would love to watch the 35 minutes press conference in it's entirety, but apparently I can only get snippets.

First off Bobby, why do you want to manage Cleveland? That's the question on everyone's mind.

"I've managed 3,500 games," said Valentine. "If you count the ones in Japan, I have about 1,600 victories. I love the fact that I had that opportunity. I cherish the thought that I have another opportunity.

"This is an opportunity to manage a major-league team with a group of major-league class people. I'd almost have to ask why wouldn't I want the opportunity? . . . It's one of the best ballparks in the world. They asked me at ESPN, "Why do you want to go there?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

I can buy it. He seems genuine. He wants to manage again and he doesn't care where it is. He went back to Japan a second time after a not-so-awesome outcome the first time. I think he really looks at it as an opportunity to get back in the game and as long as what's going on around is right, he's ready to go. He spoke highly of Shapiro and the organization and I'm guessing that's enough of a reason.

Why wouldn't he? I can buy it. I can buy it.

"I don't know if it's exactly what I want to do. I'm not sure. But again, I haven't been offered the job so I don't have to decide if this is what I want to do."

Oh for the love of jingle bells, what is this?

Oh yeah I wanna manage Cleveland... Why wouldn't I? Oh maybe because I don't know if I want to manage at all!

I'm willing to cut this guy some slack because of sleep deprivation and that fact that he's been on a six year honeymoon in Japan doing nothing but managing a baseball team.

That tells me, in order for Valentine to be considered seriously, for him to seriously consider this, we have to offer him the job?

This is something I dislike. I want him to take the attitude that he wants to manage here and he said that. But he went ahead and cast doubt about that when he went ahead and said "Yeah I'm not sure I want to do this though."

I can understand, yeah if he wanted to manage, he wouldn't mind managing Cleveland. But by saying he doesn't know if he wants to manage period, he's throwing that point out of the window and I dislike that.

Moving on...

"I don't know as much about Cleveland as someone interviewing for their manager's job probably should," said Valentine. "I could have crammed for the last six days, read every article and called every friend to get every bit of information just in case one of guys asked me who the starting third baseman is going to be next year. I didn't do it."

Oh dear... This is the part about studying for the test I was talking about...

I can admire the honesty. I can respect the fact that this guy just got back into the United States a few days ago. I can understand the fact that he was in Japan for the past six years, so he doesn't exactly know who Andy Marte is and why Cleveland fans want to kill themselves every time his name is mentioned.

Did anyone really want him to cram for the past six days and learn every bit of information he possibly could? Personally, I don't care. I'm cool with the fact that he has enough respect to step off a plane from Japan after six years, get a job at ESPN immediately and become a finalist for a managerial job in the major leagues.

"I can tell you that I don't know about the American League. I don't know about the Central. I don't know about the Indians. But I sure as hell am willing to learn, and spend 28 hours a day if necessary, to know everything that I could possibly know."

And I can sure as hell respect that as well. Who wouldn't? But it goes back to what he said earlier. Does he want to do it or does he not want to? If he would have qualified all these statements he's made with saying "YEAH I WANT TO MANAGE DAMNIT AND I WANT TO MANAGE THE CLEVELAND INDIANS!" With or without the caps lock, then I'm on board with everything he's saying.

But he's already cast doubt into my mind with that first comment. He's got me. He's got me with everything he's said so far, until I remember he is still unsure about even wanting to manage.

"I have to catch up on at least four years of the new statistical information and abbreviations that are out there," Valentine said. "I have to brush up on six years of players who have entered the league that I have only seen on TV. I have to catch up on a whole generation of major league players."

This is sort of understandable. But from another aspect, it sounds like we'd be better off hiring Torey Lovullo than Bobby Valentine. Its as if Valentine is the in-experienced one here and Lovullo is the one who has all the experience.

However let's not get wild with that point and let's remember. It wouldn't take long for someone like Valentine to learn it all over again and quickly remember what it's all about.

"I really am a lousy loser," he said. "As a matter of fact, we talked about that in the interview process. If, in fact, all I was going to do was sign up to manage a losing team and all I was going to be hired for was to get one more win than another guy, I don't think I'd be here. I think I'm being asked to be part of a process that might be lasting and might be special. I like special things."

Again... Another winning point for me.

But again, how much of that does he mean? I love the fact that he's a lousy loser. Anyone would want someone who doesn't enjoy losing.

We all like special things Bobby.

Alright Bobby, make one more pitch for me brother.

"Only because I'm a manager who does a pretty good job at being a manager," he said. "In Japan, the guy (manager) is called 'tantoukachou.' The definition isn't a manager, it's a director. I really think I am more of a director. I can put things in place well. I can adjust the volume of the orchestra. I can put the right sounds and instruments in the right places to make something that is really pleasing to the ear, the eye and hopefully the baseball community.

"That's what I do for a living. Hopefully, it's good enough."

Bobby said a lot about Japan and how he had a six year love affair. How it was a magic carpet ride and how emotional it was to leave there because he doesn't know if that experience will ever be duplicated.

This is a different guy. Okay this isn't Manny Acta or anything else. Look it's Bobby Valentine. He's going to be different and as I said earlier to Terry Pluto's point. It's fun to think about, but after this, it's hard to imagine.

It's hard to imagine because it is so different and we aren't used to different.

In the end, Pluto again hit home with it. It would be a risk. It would be a risk the Indians are taking. It could pay off big time if Valentine is everything he says he is. Or it could be a complete disaster if the "I don't know if I want to manage and I have absolutely no clue what's going on in the MLB these days" rings true.

This is a risk. We have no clue. I have no clue. If Mark Shapiro wants to go big or go home, he's going to hire Bobby Valentine.

If he doesn't want to assume the risk that is Bobby Valentine, you can cross his name off the list right now.

Let me just say this is why though. This is why the Indians are putting all their candidates in front of the media. They want this.

If Bobby Valentine blows.. They want everyone to know.. They want us to know that he blew.

Fans: "Why didn't you hire Bobby Valentine?"

Shapiro: "Trust Me.. That would have been a mistake."

Fans: "Says who? The guy who traded Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez for two bags of balls?"

Shapiro: "Whatever, Irrational."

Now it goes like this,

Fans: "Boy that Bobby Valentine... I can see why you didn't hire him."

Shapiro: "Yeah he's really out of touch."

Look... I can't possibly attach myself to Valentine. No one can. I know what is in Shapiro's mind if he hires this guy though.

I don't really believe the Indians are in a position to take this sort of risk.

You hire Valentine and you just hope that his lackadaisical attitude about not knowing anything is just the product of six years in Japan and being a little sleepy. But you are taking that risk.

And I'll say that and leave it at that.

We still have two more guys to get interviews and possibly two more if what we are hearing is true about Shapiro having two more candidates.

Oh this is just so interesting though.

This is fun isn't it?

Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Indians could go as high as $2.5 million for Valentine. Which is $1.5 million less than his Japan contract that was not renewed.

Just something to keep in the back of your mind.

Read this though. It was my Pre-Valentine media-fest and interview. It was my case for Bobby V before I read and saw what he had to say. It's fun to have these sort of ideas and then see what he has to say and then go to all this.

But yeah.. That went up yesterday morning. This went up a little while ago. Torey Lovullo goes today and I'm excited to see him get in front of the media and dazzle us all. What's unfortunate, as I pointed out in the article.

It's almost as if he's out before it gets underway because he has no experience.

He may be the perfect fit for this job. He may be the best candidate. But because Shapiro has made such a big deal about experience, it would take a lot for us and him to say, ahhh forget experience, he's the answer.

We'll get on with Lovullo when he says more today after his interview, but man.. Again, If he doesn't get the job, I think it's almost a necessity to get him up in the big leagues and make him a part of any staff you put together. He would be an asset to this club in any capacity.

Lovullo today, we'll talk tomorrow.

Edit 11:55 AM: Tony Lastoria is ever great.. Listen to Bobby V's entire presser here.